Niger boat mishap: NSEMA recovers nine out of 150 bodies

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Niger boat mishap: NSEMA recovers nine out of 150 bodies

A total of nine bodies of victims of the boat accident that occurred on Tuesday on river Niger upstream Jebba dam, at Gbajibo community, Mokwa LGA of Niger State, have been recovered.

Recall the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA) had earlier through its Director General, Abdullahi Baba Arah that a total of about 300 passengers were on board when the mishap occurred out of which 150 persons were rescued alive.

It was gathered that the accident was as a result of overloading and late night travel, which controvens the 6:00 am to 6:00 pm period stipulated for traveling on the waterways by the Federal Government.

It was gathered that the boat was transporting passengers going for a Maulud from new Gbajiko in Kwara State to old Gbajiko in Niger State.

NSEMA in an update disclosed that a total of nine bodies out of 150 missing passengers have been recovered through collaboration between the agency and the State Ministry of Transport, Mokwa Local Government Emergency Committee, as well as local divers and other community volunteers.

Arah said out of the nine victims, two were female, while seven were male.